Through an almost three year process, we took a 1948 choppy cinder-block constructed upstairs/downstairs duplex and converted it into a modern, open single family home.

We of course could not have done this without the help and vision of our architects, Ryan Burke and Eric Barth of AParallel.

Prior to beginning this process we looked for another house for almost 2 years. We saw a lot of flips and given their price point we thought we could do better. And we're happy with that decision.

Our biggest fear was that given the block construction, there was no way to remodel and have the spaces appear proportional and natural. This fear ultimately was unfounded, and we've ended up with a nice open kitchen/living/dining area. We can now entertain where we couldn't in our cramped 800 sq. ft. duplex — what was the kitchen is now the master closet.

The architects created a house that stands out to us, and we love, but blends perfectly with the neighborhood. The "Duplex Nation" area of Austin is an area of approximately 60 almost identical duplexes. We didn't want to change the character of this unique neighborhood, and I believe we succeeded.